Russia’s Ambassador to Sofia Anatoly Makarov told the Bulgarian National Radio on Thursday that the Bulgaria-Russia relations reached a positive turning point last year and advised Bulgaria’s authorities to invite Vladimir Putin to pay visit to that country, because he did that as a President of the Russian Federation in 2008 for the last time. The statement of the Russian Ambassador was little expected, because recently the bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Russia have been in a standstill due to political differences stemming from Bulgaria’s EU and NATO membership and due to differences in the power engineering field. In Ambassador Makarov’s view, the progress of the bilateral relations was due to the fact that the work of the Bulgaria-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation was resumed, as well as to the phone conversations between Bulgaria’s former Premier Boyko Borissov and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and the contacts between the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church. Ambassador Makarov’s advice comes only several days after Bulgaria’s new President Rumen Radev assumed office. A visit of Russia’s President to Sofia was impossible during the mandate of Bulgaria’s former President Plevneliev, because Rossen Plevneliev often criticized sharply Russia’s policy line. However, such visit is entirely possible during the mandate of President Rumen Radev, because many perceive Radev as Pro-Russian politician.  

Ambassador Makarov’s statement coincided with the visit of Russia’s head of state to Hungary where Putin pointed out that his country would “entirely depoliticize the energy issues” and would not take offence that Bulgaria did not find the courage in the past to oppose the European Commission with regard to the transit of Russian gas through the suspended South Stream gas pipeline project. President Putin made it clear that Russia would resume that energy project, if that country is guaranteed that it would not incur new losses stemming from ill-advised decisions. However, Moscow would perhaps demand from the EU to lift sanctions and aim at warming up its relations with the USA, in order to reconsider that problem.

Bulgaria has always had a minor role in the complicated international affairs, but at least it can follow a more persistent policy in protection of its own national interests. The second Boyko Borissov cabinet realized that, but did not manage to make a change. Perhaps, the next Bulgarian government can achieve that in a more favorable international conjuncture.